Pursuits

Embee Sunshade's Handmade Parasols

Expert craftsmanship, come rain or come shine

Brickner's clients range from New York City's pools (he made more than 300 parasols for lifeguards) to JetBlue AirwaysPhotograph by Jeremy Liebman for Bloomberg Businessweek

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By Mark Elwood

September 6, 2012 at 7:31 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

BusinessWeek Cover Image (12_37, 1496x2048)

This article is part of the September 10, 2012 issue of businessweek.

Embee Sunshade's Handmade Parasols — Each sunshade is assembled over five days, including a detour off-site to a Bronx blacksmithJeremy Liebman for Bloomberg Businessweek

Barnett Brickner is the third generation to helm his family firm, Embee Sunshade, America’s leading maker of handmade umbrellas. Founded in 1933 by his grandfather Morris Brickner (hence Em-Bee) in Manhattan, Embee originally made conventional rain umbrellas. Morris switched to “sunbrellas” after World War II when the company moved to roomier premises in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it crafts more than 20,000 umbrellas each year.